Dragonball Z versus The Predator
by WriterNotViking
Summary: An elusive new enemy is killing people left and right. Now Goku must ally with his greatest enemy to defeat this new threat. Post-DB, pre-DBZ
1. Prologue

  
  
This is a crossover between Dragonball Z and The Predator. You know, from the movies. Let me know what you think. This is set in pre-DBZ, post-DB. I know very little of that period, so apologies if anything doesn't check out.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Pretty clear, huh?   
  
  
**Prologue**   
  
Hinto came to a stop in the centre of the clearing. He took off his shirt and dropped it on top of his bag. Then he sat down on his knees and closed his eyes. Meditation before exercising always improved the quality of the training, he had found. It helped him to focus his mind, to keep it clear of distractions.  
  
Not that he really knew what he was training for. He knew he wasn't nearly good enough to be in the World Martial Arts Tournament, and there were no specific tournaments for his art. He made enough money from making furniture that he could live in reasonable comfort. He just liked the feeling he got when practicing. Like he was invincible.  
  
A sound touched his ears. Leaves rustled, but not with the wind. Someone or something was stalking him. He mentally prepared himself for anything. Outward he gave no sign he had heard anything. Only when he heard a strange clicking noise did he jump to his feet to face the newcomer.   
  
When he saw what was coming at him, he froze in place. "Oh, my god..." he whispered...   
  



	2. Chapter 1

  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Again, clear as crystal.   
  
  
**Chapter 1**   
  
The squirrel sat up, looking around nervously. It was afraid, but it had no idea why. It decided to take no chances. It grabbed the hazelnut before it and sprinted away, towards the safety of its tree.  
  
Except it never got there. A moccasined foot swung out of nowhere and kicked the smallcreature away. It flew for a hundred yards before it struck a tree and fell to the ground.  
  
Piccolo hadn't even paused in his flight. He hated squirrels. In fact he hated everything, but a squirrel had been nearby, so he hated the squirrel most of all.  
  
No, wait. That wasn't entirely true. There was someone else, whom he hated even more.  
  
Goku.  
  
The monkey boy.  
  
Piccolo clenched his fists. How he longed to destroy that insolent fool. He longed to feel Goku's bones break beneath his hands, hear him cry out in agony as Piccolo ripped off his limbs.  
  
But he wasn't strong enough. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how much he trained, the fool was always stronger. Sometimes Piccolo wondered if he would ever be able to beat him.  
  
He halted in midair and looked around. He had arrived in a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees. Sunlight shone in the center.With a derisive snort, he said: "I guess this'll have to do." He folded his arms and legs and drifted down, to hang suspended in the air before a tree. he closed his eyes and started his meditation.  
  
No matter how concentrated he was on his meditation, he never failed to keep his guard up. So when something fell on his head, he immediately vanished and reappeared in the center of the clearing, crouched into a fighting stance and ready for anything.  
  
When nothing leapt out to attack him, he cautiously brought a hand to his head. It came away red. Blood. But his blood was purple. He looked up the tree he had been sitting against. Something red was visible through the leaves. Piccolo drifted up to float level with it. His eyes grew wide in shock.  
  
It was a corpse. But not just a corpse. It was hanging upside down from a thick branch. Its head was missing. But most importantly, its skin had been stripped off. When the wind turned it around, Piccolo could see the spine had been removed along with the head.  
  
He scowled. Sure, he'd hurt people too, and the corpse itself didn't bother him that much. What did bother him was that he was the one that was supposed to be hurting people._If anyone's going to dominate this ugly ball of mud, it's going to be me, damnit!_  
  
Then he felt something. It was faint, and it was barely noticeable. But however faint it was, Piccolo was able to identify it as definitely not human. he narrowed his eyes. A new player, then.  
  
For some reason, he began to feel afraid. Angry, he dismissed the feeling. He was Piccolo, son of the Demon King, and he need fear no one. "All right, I know you're out there. If you want a fight, come and get me."  
  
In response, a blue flash fired from a nearby tree. Piccolo dodged to the side and whirled around. Extending his hand, he fired a ki blast at the tree from which he'd been attacked. Just before it hit, something leapt off the tree, but Piccolo couldn't see what it was. Somehow, he could see the forest behind it. _A see-through killer? What is going on here, anyway? _He snarled and dove into the forest.  
  
Two metallic objects flew at him, too fast to dodge. They struck his right arm, tearing it off at the shoulder. Piccolo screamed in pain. Behind him, his arm was pinned to a tree.  
  
He lowered himself to the ground, holding the stump of his right arm. Once he reached the ground, he fell to one knee in pain.  
  
Heavy footsteps on the grass. His attacker was coming to finish him off.  
  
The footsteps halted and Piccolo looked up. He gasped.  
  
Before him stood a shape. It was similar to a man, but much taller and broader. Other details were impossible to make out, as the form was almost completely transparent. Behind it, he could see the forest, but it was distorted, like on a very hot day.  
  
With a metallic shing, a pair of blades emerged from the thing's right arm.  
  
Piccolo smirked, in spite of his pain. With an effort, he managed to stand. "You think it's all over, don't you? Well, I've got a surprise for you, pal." He gritted his teeth and concentrated. The bloody stump on his right shoulder began to crawl. More blood oozed out. Then, with a scream, a new arm emerged, slick with body fluids.  
  
He felt exhausted, but he needed to act while his enemy was distracted. He charged forward and punched the thing twice in the chest. Then he pushed it away and fired a ki blast at point-blank range.  
  
Smoke prevented him from seeing how much damage he had done to his enemy, but he didn't think he'd hurt it that much, and he was in no condition to put up any more of a fight. He jumped in the air, barely able to stay airborne, and flew off as fast as his exhausted body would allow.  
  
Below, the smoke cleared, revealing a battle-scarred but empty clearing. The transparent form silently watched its enemy's flight from high up a tree.  
  
  



	3. Chapter 2

  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Once more, very much cut and dried.   
  
  
**Chapter 2**  
  
"Come on, Goku. Let go."  
  
"Wuitffogoo."  
  
"Goku, NO!" Bulma shrieked with a death glare. "The picknick food was enough. You are not going to eat the basket, too!"  
  
Goku opened his jaws and Bulma took out the basket. Teeth marks were visible on one edge. Krillin laughed. "Man, Goku, that appetite of yours is big enough to put McDonalds out of business!"  
  
Bulma muttered something and put the picknick basket away where Goku couldn't reach it. Before her, on a red and white blanket, lay the ravaged remains of what had once been a very large lunch. Now, only a few crumbs remained.  
  
"Man, it's a good thing I loaded up good the first time." Yamcha said with a grin. "By the time I finished, everything else was gone."  
  
Goku put a hand behind his head and laughed. "Sorry, guys. It's just that it's so good. I can't help myself."  
  
Bulma shook her head and smiled. "No, it's okay Goku. By now, we've known you long enough to know how you are when food is involved."  
  
"Hey, Goku, how come Chi Chi couldn't be here?" Krillin said.  
  
Goku grinned. "Well, actually, that's something I meant to tell you earlier. You see, Chi Chi is..."  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, a blue flash lit up the picknick area. Goku covered his eyes against the glare. When it faded, Krillin lay on the picknick blanket with a large bloody hole in his back. He wasn't moving. Blood was slowly staining the blanket.  
  
"Krillin! Oh no!" Goku was at his friend's side in a moment. Reaching into the small pouch on his belt, he took out a small green bean. "Here. Eat this. It's senzu." Bulma held his head.up while Goku pushed the small bean into Krillin's mouth. Yamcha was on his feet, looking around warily. He tried to look every way at once, but he failed to see or sense anyone. "Goku, there's no one out there!"  
  
Goku didn't answer. He was too busy helping Krillin to eat the bean. Finally Krillin managed to swallow it. The magic bean did its work quickly, and soon Krillin was able to sit up. "Thanks, Goku. That was a close one."  
  
They both stood. "Yamcha, did you see anything?"  
  
"Not a thing! Whoever's out there is really good."  
  
"You bet he is. He took me out in one shot. I didn't even see it coming!" Krillin said.  
  
"I don't like this, guys. We'd better get out of here."  
  
Bulma quickly gathered everything on the blanket and dropped it into the basket. "Stupid blood. Now my blanket's ruined."  
  
"I'm sorry, Bulma. next time, I'll try to bleed a little less." Krillin snapped. He was still upset about nearly dying, and the fact that there was no sign at all of the attacker was very unnerving.  
  
They left together, the three fighters looking around constantly. The field was eerily quiet. Not a bird was singing, and the wind had died.  
  
Once they reached the road, Goku said: "I think it would be best if we just went home together. I don't think any of us should be on our own."  
  
"Not me, Goku. I live only a short way from here. I'll be home in no time." Yamcha said.  
  
"Are you sure, Yamcha?" Krillin pressed.  
  
Yamcha grinned. "Sure. I'll be okay."  
  
"You be careful, Yamcha!" Bulma called as he flew off. He waved once, then he disappeared behind the trees.  
  
Goku and Krillin dropped off Bulma at Capsule Corporation. Then they went their separate ways, after Krillin promised to call as soon as he got home.  
  
As Goku flew home, he though about what had happened at the picknick site. Who had attacked them, and why? He knew it wasn't Piccolo, he would just have stepped out and challenged Goku. Anyway, he wouldn't have been interested in Krillin at all. So it had to be someone else. But with that kind of power, who could go unnoticed for so long?  
  
He shook his head. He didn't have any answers, but he didn't think it would take long for at least some of the mystery to be cleared up. After all, if the attacker had taken the trouble to attack once, he would probably attack again.  
  
  



	4. Chapter 3

  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Still obvious.   
  
  
**Chapter 3**  
  
After a short flight, he landed on his front porch. As he openedn the door, he could here the phone ringing. He picked it up. "Hello."  
  
"Goku, it's me."  
  
"Krillin!" Goku said happily. "I'm glad you're home safe."  
  
There was a pause on the other end. "Krillin?" Goku asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay Goku. It's just..." A deep breath. "Goku, Yamcha is dead."  
  
"What?" Goky yelled.  
  
"Yeah. I got a weird phone call from Puar, so I went right over. I found him hanging from a tree. He was... his head was gone, and his, his skin too. But I knew it was him, I found his boots on the ground."  
  
"Oh, man, what's going on here! Is Puar all right?"  
  
"Yeah. She didn't see it happen, didn't see anyone."  
  
Goku thought for a moment. "Krillin, I think it's best if you all come over here. Drop by Bulma's, too. I don't know who's doing this, but we need to find out. I'm going to pick up Chi Chi from the hospital, but I'll be back before you get here."  
  
"Chi Chi's in the hospital? What for?"  
  
Goku grinned in spite of the situation. "We'll tell you when you get here. And be careful." he added.  
  
"Right. Ciao, Goku." And he hung up.  
  
Goku stepped outside and prepared to whistle for the Nimbus when he sensed something. Faint, but close. He narrowed his eyes. This had to be the mystery killer. He took a few steps forward. "Come out. I know you're there." Nothing happened. "Are you afraid to fight me?" Goku taunted. At that, there was a rustling of leaves in a nearby tree. A transparent form jumped to the ground and walked slowly towards Goku.  
  
"Are you the one who attacked us? Did you kill Yamcha?" Goku demanded.  
  
The creature spoke, but it took a moment before Goku realised what it was saying.  
"Ciao, Goku." it gurgled  
  
Goku narrowed his eyes. "I won't let you get away with this." he said. In response, two blades snapped out of the creature's right wrist. It lunged.  
  
The two blades swung for Goku's neck. He ducked and punched its stomach. He might as well have struck a mountain for all the reaction he got. He jumped to the side and kicked at the creature's legs. It remained standing and struck Goku with its fist. It turned and slashed with the blades, but Goku leapt above them ad dealt a solid kick to it's face. It staggered backwards a step, but deflected Goku's next punch and struck him in the ribs. He fell to the ground and rolled a few times before leaping to his feet.  
  
The creature was strong, and it knew how to take a punch. Goku was a little faster, but he needed to be careful with its wrist blades, and that took the edge off his attacks. But he had one advantage over the creature. He grinned and cupped his hands at his side. "Ka-"  
  
He got no further. A blue bolt of energy shot from the creature's shoulder and Goku barely had time to dodge. He leapt into the air, but halfway through his jump he was struck in the face. He was launched high into the air. When he opened his eyes, he saw another bolt flying at him. At the last second, he fired a ki blast at it.  
  
The two energy blasts hit and exploded. The blast hit Goku full force and he was unable to stay in the air. As he struck the ground, he was sure he felt a few ribs break.   
  
All of a sudden this isn't going so well, he thought. He managed to come to his feet, but he was in bad shape. His gi was burned and torn in several places, and a few of his ribs were broken. But the creature granted him no respite and lunged again.  
  
This time, Goku was definitely on the defensive. He was able to avoid the deadly twin blades, but more than once, its other fist hit him hard. He was straining hard just to keep up, and barely ever managed to get a hit in himself.  
  
It feinted a slash, and Goku ducked before he realised it was a ruse. The creature's giant foot lashed out and struck him under the chin. He flew off and landed on his back. He groaned and tried to get up. He failed.  
  
The transparent form slowly walked towards him. Goku grimaced. _I have to do something!_  
  
A green and purple shape slammed into the creature from the side, feet first. The creature fell and rolled away. Picolo landed next to Goku's broken form. "Get up, you weakling." he snarled.  
  
Goku laughed weakly. "I can't. I'm in pretty bad shape."  
  
Piccolo grabbed him by his tail and pulled. "Either you get up or I'll carry you by your tail."  
  
Goku shrieked. "Okay, okay! Just let go!" Piccolo released the tail. As Goku struggled to his feet, Piccolo fired a large ki blast. "Better move it, Goku. He's getting up."  
  
"Right." Goku said, and whistled sharply. A golden cloud rushed towards him and stopped. He jumped on board. "Away, Nimbus!" he cried, and was carried off. A glance over his shoulder ensured that Piccolo was still behind him.  
  
He reached into his pouch and took out a senzu bean. As he chewed it, he thought on what had happened.  
  
Piccolo had rescued him.  
  
_What is going on here?_ he wondered as the Nimbus bore him from the battlefield.  
  
  



	5. Chapter 4

  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Getting old, eh?   
  
  
**Chapter 4**  
  
Chi Chi scowled as she paid the taxi driver. She suspected he was overcharging, but she was in no mood to make a fuss. She didn't tip him, though.  
  
As the taxi flew off, she wondered why Goku hadn't come to pick her up. He wasn't the brightest man around, but he rarely forgot an agreement with his wife. He'd soon learned that doing so cost him his dinner.  
  
Walking towards the house, she noticed something odd. There was a small crater in the ground, and several trees were damaged. It looked as if there had been a fight.  
  
Suddenly worried, she ran the rest of the way to the house. Once inside, she picked up the phone and called Bulma. Her mother answered the phone. Bulma had been picked up by Krillin a few minutes ago. She didn't know where they had gone.  
  
Chi Chi sighed. She didn't like any of this, but it seemed there was nothing she could do at this time. She decided to make dinner early. Cooking always helped her take her mind off things.  
  
She made her way to the kitchen, but before she could get started, she thought she heard something outside. Her face settled into a grim scowl. She took the frying pan off the wall and walked slowly towards the front door. She reached out to open it.  
  
Before she could, it was knocked off its hinges. Chi Chi was knocked backwards. She was on her feet again in a moment. She was still slightyl dazed from the hit, and this allowed her to think that the nightmare vision that stood in the doorway was an illusion.  
  
At least until it stepped inside.  
  
It was too broad for the doorway and had to twist aside to enter. Chi Chi stared, unable to believe her eyes. Through it, she could see the path that led up to the house. Tracing it to the door, she noticed something.  
  
The thing had _muddy feet_. It had already left three giant tracks of mud. Chi Chi's eyes blazed. "WHAT!" she screamed. "How dare you come in here with dirty feet like that! And what have you done with my Goku? Answer me!" She hit it across the head with the frying pan. Its head snapped around, but it was otherwise unaffected.  
  
Its left hand snapped out and grabbed Chi Chi around the neck, lifting her off her feet. She kicked with her feet, struggling to get free. Her eyes grew wide as two blades emerged from the thing's right wrist.  
  
Then the creature paused. Its eyes came alive with a venomous green and fixed on her stomach. For a few moments it examined her. Then the blades retracted and the creature dropped her to the ground. It regarded her for a while. To Chi Chi, it looked disappointed. Then it turned and left.  
  
Shock got the better of her and Chi Chi began to faint. Her last thought before she lost consciousness was: _How did he know?_  
  
When Krillin and Bulma arrived, they found her lying in the hallway, unconsciousness but alive.  
  
+ + +  
  
"What are we going to do?" Krillin muttered.  
  
They had been talking ever since Chi Chi had woken up again. Each of them had some idea of what was going on, but the important questions, like: where is Goku? or who is the mysterious killer? remained unanswered.  
  
"Well, we can't go after him." Bulma said. "You're the only fighter left, Krillin, and you can't take him alone."  
  
Krillin was about to answer when there was a knock on the door. "You're right, I can't take him alone," he said as he got up, "but I'm not the only fighter left." He opened the door. Tien and ChaoZu stood in the doorway.  
  
"Krillin. We got your message." Tien said. "It sounded serious. What's going on?"  
  
"Come on guys, you better step inside. This might take a while."  
  
Actually, it took about ten minutes to fill Tien and Chao Zu in on what had happened.  
  
"Yamcha's dead? That's horrible!" Chao Zu said, eye wide with horror. "And you have no idea who did it?"  
  
"Not a clue," Krillin confirmed.  
  
Tien folded his arms. "One question. Where's Goku?"  
  
Everyone fell silent. Chi Chi looked away. Bulma said: "We don't know. He might just be out for a while, or..." She didn't finish her sentence.  
  
Tien stood. "That's it. We're going after this guy."  
  
Krillin looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, Tien." he said. "I mean, what if Goku lost to this guy? What chance do we have?"  
  
"There is no choice, Krillin. If we do nothing, he will keep on killing people. Who besides us could ever stand a chance against him?"  
  
Krillin hung his shoulders. "Yeah, you're right."  
  
Chao Zu turned to Bulma. "Bulma, do you have anything we might be able to use?"  
  
Bulma shook her head. "I can't think of anything. You'll have to rely on your senses."  
  
Tien nodded. "All right." he said. "When do we leave?"  
  
"Well, it isn't evening yet. I say we go as soon as we can. I don't want to go out after dark." Krillin said.  
  
"I'll make you something to eat." Chi Chi said, and hurried into the kitchen.  
  
  



	6. Chapter 5

  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Yawn...   
  
  
**Chapter 5**  
  
After eating an early dinner, Tien, Krillin and Chao Zu left. They had decided to start their search where Krillin had first been attacked, during the picknick. They flew slowly, always watching the ground, searching for the elusive enemy. As they passed Yamcha's house, everyone looked another way.  
  
Finally they reached the field of their destination and landed.  
"So, now what do we do?" Krillin said.  
  
"We search the woods. Bulma told me you'd been shot from the forest. Yamcha lives near the forest as well. It is our best shot." Tien said.  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Tien?" Chao Zu asked. "We'll have to go below the tree level, or we'll never find anything. We'll be vulnerable"  
  
Tien nodded. "You're right. But that's a chance that we'll just have to take."  
  
Together, they jumped into the air and entered the forest.  
  
+ + +  
  
"Really. So he attacked you too, huh."  
  
"That's what I'm telling you, fool." Piccolo snarled. The tailed oaf was getting on his nerves. "I fought him, but he was too strong."  
  
Goku nodded. "Yeah, me too. I hit him a few times, but he wasn't even hurt."  
  
Piccolo was hanging in midair, opposite Goku, who sat cross-legged on the Nimbus cloud. "So, now that you've established the obvious, how do you think you're going to beat him?"  
  
Goku stood. "No one is unbeatable." he said. "I'll just have to fight harder."  
  
He prepared to leave, but Piccolo slapped him across his face. "Idiot!" he sneered. "Go now and you'll throw your life away, and just this once I can't allow that. Don't you see? We need to work together to defeat him."  
  
Goku rubbed his cheek. "You and me?"  
  
"Believe me, I like this a lot less than you. But it's the only way to stop him." Piccolo growled.  
  
Goku looked puzzled. "Why do you even care? I thought you wanted to destroy this planet?"  
  
"I do, and I don't need some see-through maniac's help in doing it. He's going down. Now, are you going to help me or not?"  
  
Goku grinned. "You bet!" He stood again. "Let's go."  
  
+++  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this." Chao Zu said.  
  
They had been flying through the forest for half an hour already, and they still hadn't found the killer. Once or twice they had felt a faint ki nearby, but too weak to really look for.  
  
Krillin was about to agree when a blue flame launched from above them. It struck Chao Zu in the chest, burning through. He was too shocked to scream. He dropped from the sky, but before he could hit the ground, a metallic object hit him in his throat, throwing him backwards and pinning him against a tree. He struggled weakly for a moment, then he went limp.  
  
"CHAO ZU!" Tien screamed. He turned. There, standing on a branch, was a transparent form staring them down.  
  
"You bastard!" Tien roared. He put his hands together, leaving a triangle in the middle. "KIKO-HO!"  
  
A blinding flash launched from between Tien's hands at the creature. The explosion lit up the forest. When the light faded, the tree was gone.  
  
"Where did he go?" Tien asked, frustrated.  
  
Right then, another blue flash came from below. "Tien! Watch out!" Krillin yelled, and fired a ki blast at the blue bolt, throwing it off course. It struck a tree, reducing it to splinters.  
  
"There he is!" Tien yelled, and dropped from the sky to face off against the transparent enemy. Krillin landed next to him.  
  
"You'll pay for this." Tien growled. The creature didn't reply. Instead, it held up its right arm. Two blades emerged.  
  
Tien scowled. "Let's go, Krillin." he said.  
  
"Right."  
  
They both leapt into the air, descending towards the creature feet first. It brought both of its arms up, deflecting the attacks. Tien dropped and rolled away to dodge a slash with the blades, but Krillin whirled around in midair and planted his elbow in the creature's face. It roared and struck his back with its fist. Krillin flew into a tree and dropped to the ground. he groaned as he tried to get up. A trio of red dots appeared on his forehead.  
  
"No!" Tien yelled, and fired a ki blast at the creature. It leapt over the blast, landing in front of Tien. Tien crouched, ready for an attack. It slashed at him with the knives. Tien stepped into the attack, grabbing the attacking arm with one hand and delivering a backhand across the creature's face with the other. Leaping up, he hit it under the chin with his knee. He somersaulted and landed some distance away.   
"Krillin, are you all right?"  
  
Krillin finally came to his feet. "Yeah, I'm okay." He stepped over to stand next to Tien.  
  
The creature had recovered again. It reached over its shoulder and removed a long rod. After a twist, a metallic shing sounded and a blade emerged from one end.  
  
"Oh, man! He's got even more weapons now!" Krillin complained.  
  
"It doesn't matter. We're going to beat him. Come on, Krillin."  
  
They ran at the creature together. It slashed with both arms at the same time, but both fighters managed to dodge the attacks and lashed out with their own. But it soon became clear that with the added threat of the creature's second weapon, they had to spend too much time dodging to attack with any real effect.  
  
Tien dodged a backhand too slowly and took a partial hit to the back of his head. He fell down on his face, dazed. Krillin kicked at the creature's stomach, but it shrugged off the blow and delivered one of its own that sent Krillin flying. He hit the ground twice before skidding to halt. He looked up just in time to see the creature plunge its weapon into Tien's back. Tien screamed. The scream ended abruptly as the creature made another cut with the weapon.  
  
Krillin's eyes became wide with horror. "Tien..." he moaned, limp with fear. On his own, he could never beat the strange transparent creature. The creature turned its head to look his way. Adrenaline finally got the better of his terror and he jumped to his feet. He ran off towards the edge of the forest. After a few steps he took to the air.  
  
A blue bolt flew at him and he barely dodged in time. He zigzagged between trees, panting with fear. It took him a long time to finally reach the edge of the forest. Once there, he lowered himself to the ground. He stood still for a while, breathing heavily and trying to get his heart rate under control.  
  
He'd finally succeeded when something crashed through the trees and stood before him.  
  
Without really wanting to, he looked up.  
  
The creature stood before him, regarding him steadily. Then it reached for its left wrist and pushed a few buttons. The transparency became opacity and began to swirl around. Finally, it vanished altogether, revealing a creature straight from a nightmare.  
  
It seemed even larger without its cloaking device. It was massively armoured, its chest, belly, upper legs, shoulders and wrists were all protected by a brownish armour plating. Where skin was visible, it showed as yellow, with occasional black specks. Over it was a fishnet kind of covering, or maybe that was part of its skin, he couldn't tell. It appeared to be wearing a helmet of sorts, but from the back of its head hung braided strands of hair. At least, that was what it seemed like.  
  
It twisted the large rod and the blade disappeared. It stowed the rod on its back. Then it started to walk towards Krillin.  
  
"Leave the cueball alone." a gruff voice said.  
  
  



	7. Chapter 6

  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. The last incarnation of the **Disclaimer of Destiny! MWUHAHAHAHAHA!**   
  
  
**Chapter 6**  
  
Hanging suspended in midair were Goku and Piccolo, looking down towards the creature. It turned to face them, Krillin apparently forgotten. The two new fighters slowly drifted to the ground.  
  
"Goku!" Krillin shouted. "We all thought you were dead!"  
  
Goku laughed. "Nope. Piccolo saved me."  
  
Krillin stared at him. "Piccolo... saved you?"  
  
"That's right." Then he grew more serious. "Krillin, where is everyone else?"  
  
Krillin looked at his feet. "They're all dead. Tien and Chao Zu and me tried to attack him, but he was too strong for us."  
  
Goku looked the creature in the eyes. "You'll pay for killing my friends."  
  
"Not to mention for killing on my planet without my permission." Piccolo added with a sardonic smirk.  
  
The creature seemed unimpressed. It merely reached behind its back and took out the rod again. The blade snapped out and it took a stance.  
  
"Enough of this talking." Piccolo snarled. "We're going to end this now." He lunged at the creature. Goku was only a beat behind him.  
  
Piccolo ran straight at the enemy, but as it slashed, he vanished and Goku reappeared in his place, delivering a punch to its head. At the same time, Piccolo lashed out from behind with a kick. The creature whirled around and hit Goku in the face with the back of its weapon. Completing the turn, it struck at Piccolo with a backhanded slash. he ducked under the attack, but was hit full in the face by the pommel of the staff.   
  
Goku took advantage of the creature's distraction and delivered a solid kick to the back of its head. It staggered forward, and Piccolo's foot shot up under the extensive armour to strike its crotch. It howled in pain. Piccolo rolled out from under it and sprang to his feet. He smirked. "Man, am I ever glad I don't have nuts."  
  
The creature righted itself and roared. The small cannon on its shoulder locked onto Piccolo and fired. He dodged just in time, but the creature fired again. And again.  
  
Goku leapt at the enemy, but it turned and backhanded him into a tree. It shot a blast at him just as he hit. Barely in time, he fired a blast of his own. The two collided and exploded spectacularly. Hoping to surprise his enemy, Goku jumped through the smoke, sensing the creature's position. But it knew full well where he was and slashed at him as soon as he cleared the smoke. A quick kick deflected the blade but did nothing about the foot that struck his ribs. He rolled a few times before coming to his feet again.  
  
Piccolo fired a ki blast at the creature. It dodged and lunged at him. he dodged the first slash, but the second cut deep into his shoulder. He screamed in pain.  
  
Just before the twin blades could remove his head, Goku leapt and struck the creature in its back. It stumbled forward, tripped over Piccolo and fell flat on its face. It half turned and fired at Goku, who dodged nimbly and landed on his feet.  
  
"Piccolo, are you all right?"  
  
Piccolo groaned. "Almost." he came to his feet. _This isn't good,_ he thought. _We've all given and taken our hits, but he doesn't seem the least bit fazed. Me, I'm hurting like hell, and it doesn't look like monkey boy is any better off._ He snarled. "Let's go. I'm not getting any younger." He attacked again.  
  
The battle was really starting to take its toll on both Goku and Piccolo. Working together, they were able to get soem solid hits in, but the creature never seemed to be bothered by them for long. The blades were an ever-present danger, because one slash could mean the end.  
  
A snap kick to Goku's chest sent him flying like a rag doll. Piccolo went for the opening, but he was too slow and the creature's blade cut through his left arm, severing it. He fell forward, groaning in agony. Its twin blades slashed at his left leg, cutting deep. Piccolo fell, unable to stay on his feet. The creature towered over him, its blade ready to deliver the final blow.  
  
A ki blast hit it in the side, driving it away. Goku landed next to Piccolo and promptly sank to his knees from exhaustion.  
  
Piccolo tried to snarl. "Fool... should've acted... sooner. I'll take... too long to regenerate. Can't help you... anymore."  
  
Goku laughed painfully. "Yeah, I understand. Man, he's a lot stronger than I thought."  
  
"Talent for... stating the obvious... astounding." Piccolo forced out. Then his head fell to the ground.  
  
Goku folded his legs under him, breathing heavily. He had absolutely no idea how he was going to win on his own. The creature was simply too strong.  
  
Some distance away, it came to its feet again. There still wasn't a mark on its body. Goku grinned wryly. _I wish I had that kind of power._ He scowled. _But I don't. And unless I think of something soon, I won't have any power at all._  
  
Something fell into his lap.  
  
He looked down.  
  
A reddish-brown staff, as long as his arm.  
  
He knew it well. He grinned broadly and came to his feet again, grasping the pole in both hands. "All right." he said. "Let's try again." And he attacked.  
  
Instead of dodging the first slash, he took it on the staff. The blades would have cut through any ordinary staff. But the Pole was unbreakable, so the blades were stopped. The creature hadn't counted on that, and was unable to defend against Goku's sudden onslaught. He punched the creature's stomach again and again, forcing it backwards. Whirling around, he struck it across the face with the staff, knocking off the helmet.  
  
Two bright yellow eyes settled on his face. They radiated pure malevolence.  
  
Its face was a horror. A small mouth, holding eight small teeth. Around it, four mandibles spread out. The forehead was broad and a ridge sat above its brow, sweeping to the back of the head, where thick braids of hair hung from it.  
  
"Wow... no wonder you're so mad." Goku said.  
  
The creature roared, throwing out its arms. Then it attacked.  
  
This time, however, Goku was easily able to hold its own. Now armed with a weapon to parry the creature's slashes, his superior speed began to make a real difference, and his attacks were no longer reduced to snap shots. he could put his full power behind an attack, and the creature was soon sporting the marks to show it.  
  
It slashed at Goku with its twin blades. He caught the attack on the staff and delivered a powerful kick to the creature's head. It stumbled backwards and swung wildly with its other blade. Goku's right hand closed on the rod and pulled as he whirled to his left. Releasing the rod, both hands closed on his staff to deliver a massive blow to the creature's undefended back.  
  
With an audible crack, the pole struck.  
  
The creature roared, not in anger but pain this time. It sank to its knees, dropping the bladed staff. It tried to stand up, but failed and rolled onto its back.  
  
Goku stood over it, staff in both hands. "It's over. Give up." he said.  
  
The creature laughed. It laughed so hard Goku had to cover his ears. It reached for its left gauntlet and popped open a panel. It punched in a sequence on the revealed buttons and laid on its back as the gauntlet began to beep. As the beeps came faster and faster, the creature looked Goku in the eyes.  
  
_"Ciao, Goku."_  
  
Goku's eyes widened as he realised what it had done. "Oh no! He's going to kill all of us!" he yelled. he jumped in the air. Flying up a hundred meters, he cupped his hands in front of him. He focussed his power as fast as he could.  
  
"Ka..." He brought his hands to his side.  
"Me..." A pinpoint of energy gathered between his hands.  
"Ha..." The pinpoint grew into a glowing ball of deadly power.  
"Me..." The ball grew even brighter, and white waves of power rippled from it.  
"HAAAA!" Goku thrust his hands out in front of him. A wave of blue-white energy launched from his hands to surge towards the ground below. Goku grunted and the beam grew broader. Then it hit its target.  
  
An inhuman roar rose above the screaming of the energy from the Kamehameha. It continued as Goku poured more and more energy into the attack. A crater formed and the beam drilled deeper and deeper into the ground. Finally, the scream faded and Goku released the attack.  
  
He drifted to the ground as th dust began to settle. "Krillin?" he shouted.  
  
A soft coughing answered his call. he flew towards the source and found Krillin buried under a pile of dust. "I'm okay, Goku. Man, that was some attack."  
  
"Yeah. I think he was going to self-destruct and blow us all up. I couldn't let that happen."  
  
Krillin shook his head and stared into the crater made by Goku's attack. "I wonder what it was and why it was attacking us."  
  
Goku shrugged. "I guess we'll never know."  
  
"Hey, what about..."  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, Krillin was interrupted by a gruff voice: "Thanks for the concern, cueball, but I'm just fine." Piccolo was on his feet again. His arm hadn't regrown yet, but his leg seemed undamaged.  
  
"Piccolo!" Goku exclaimed happily. "I'm glad you made it!"  
  
Piccolo sneered. "Don't think for a second this changes anything between us, Goku. Next time we meet, I will kill you. Then I'll get around to this planet." He turned and leapt into the air. A few seconds later, he was gone.  
  
Krillin watched him go. "Man, he's so weird."  
  
"I think he's not so bad deep down inside." Goku said with a smile.  
  
Then he looked up into the sky and waved at the air. "Thank you, Kami!" As he waved he heard a chuckle in his head._ You're welcome, Goku._  
  
"Goku, who are you talking to?" Krillin said after looking around.  
  
Goku smiled. "Ah, no one."  
  
Krillin sobered. "So what do we do now?"  
  
"Well, that's easy. We go home and rest a little. Then we get the Dragon radar from Bulma to wish our friends back to life."  
  
"All right!" Krillin said with a happy grin on his face.  
  
They jumped into the air and headed for Goku's house.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Goku, I meant to ask you." Krillin said. "You never told me why Chi Chi was in the hospital."  
  
"Oh, that's right." Goku smiled. "She pregnant."  
  
Krillin was lucky he wasn't flying alone; had Goku not caught him, he would have fallen to the ground.  
  
The End   
  
  
++++++++++  
  
  
So, tell me what you think! Honest reviews are very much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed it!  
  



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